Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Great Smoky Mountains National Park

This beautiful view from the top of the new observation tower on Clingmans Dome shows the towering peaks of the Great Smokies rising high above the clouds.  In the background is rugged Silers BALD, over half a mile high, elevation 5620 feet.

An eleven mile one way loop road begins at this interpretive wayside exhibit gradually unfolding our proud heritage and pioneering culture with original cabins, grist mill and live demonstrations.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Great Smoky Mountains National Park.  View of the switchbacks on U.S. 441 Parkway in the Newfound Gap Area.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park

A winter scene in the Great Smokies, these huge icicles overhang the trans-mountain highway, US 441 near the top of Clingmans Dome where temperatures range from 15 to 20 degrees below that in the valleys.

Smoky Montain National park

Maggie Balley, North Carolina the most photographed view in the Smokies.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Clingman's Dome Tower in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.  Completed in 1959, this new observation tower is on top of the Park's highest peak - elevation 6642 feet.  From this point can be seen breath-taking views of the surrounding mountains in every direction.  The Tower is reached by an easy half-mile paved trail from the parking area on Clingman's Dome.

Parking area at Clingman's Dome in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Clingman's Overlook - Elevation 6311 Feet - Great Smoky Mountains National Park.  Named for Gen. Thomas L. Clingman, 1812-1897.  In the 1850's he was responsible for the first trail from Indian Gap to Clingman's Dome.  From this parking area a 1/2 mile paved trail leads to an observation tower on the summit of Clingman's Dome the highest peak in the Park - Elevation 6643 feet.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Newfound Gap Parking Area - Great Smoky Mountains National Park.  This large parking area is on top of the main range of the Great Smoky Mountains on the North Carolina - Tennessee State Line.  It is the highest point on the Trans-mountain Highway U.S. 441 the elevation being 5045 feet above sea level.  to the left may be seen Clingmans Dome the highest peak in the Park, and it is from here that the Clingmans Dome Highway begins.

Parking area at Clingmans Dome - Great Smoky Mountains National Park.  From this parking area on Forney Ridge a short hike takes one to the highest peak in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park - Clingmans Dome - Altitude 6643 feet above sea level.  One of the most popular hikes - to Andrews Bald - also starts from this parking area.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Autumn scene at Junglebrook Parking Area, Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Little Pigeon River

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Flowing along U.S. Hwy. 441 on the Tennessee side of the Smoky Mountains, this is but one of the many such seren views that nature lovers and fishermen can behold. Naturalists call the Great Smokies “The cradle of vegetation” for all Eastern America, which lies about equally divided between Tennessee and North Carolina and includes the largest land masses of the Appalachian Mountain system.

 

Springtime in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park with Chimney tops in background.  This is the largest national park in Eastern America and straddles the range which forms the boundary between North Carolina and Tennessee.  Within its borders there are many mountain peaks over a mile high, deep ravines, precipitous cliffs, waterfalls and numerous mountain streams.

Fall color highway scene in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Autumn highway scene in the Great Smoky Mountains – Each year in Mid-October the mountain areas of the South present a gorgeous array of Fall splendor.

Indian Falls near Deep Creek Campground – Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

A Panoramic Vista in Early Fall – Great Smoky Mountains National Park

This is the largest national park in Eastern America and straddles the range which forms the boundary between North Carolina and Tennessee.  Within its borders there are many mountain peaks over a mile high, deep ravines, precipitous cliffs, waterfalls and numerous mountain streams.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park

The Chimney Tops in fall colors seen from U.S. 441 – Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Laurel Falls – Great Smoky Mountains National Park.  The Laurel Falls hike is the most popular hike in the Smokies.  The easy paved trail starts at the Fightin’ Creek Gap parking area and the round trip distance is about two and a half miles.

Sunrise in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.  Seen from the top of the main Range of the Great Smokies near Newfound Gap.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Little Pigeon River – Great Smoky Mountain National Park.  This beautiful mountain stream is the East Fork of the Little Pigeon River showing the Greenbrier Pinnacle in the background.  There are more than 600 miles of fine trout fishing streams in the Park.

Air view of Clingmans Dome Observation Tower – Great Smoky Mountains National Park – This modern tower on top of the Smokies highest peak affords magnificent views in all directions.  In the distance may be seen Mt. Leconte.  This tower is one of the most popular points of interest in the National Park.

The Chimney Tops in Autumn – U.S. 441 – Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Fontana Village Resort

Street in the Village Center – Cafeteria and dining room, left, drug store and gift shop, center, Shuckstack Mountain in the background. Fontana Village Resort is two miles from Fontana Dam, largest in the TVA chain, largest east of the Rockies, one of the largest in the world. Thirty-mile lake.

 

Fall color scene from the top of the Smokies – Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Fall color scene in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.  This beautiful autumn scene was made from a point near Maloney Point looking toward Cove Mountain.